There are over three thousand species of snakes across the world, and they all have unique characteristics, colors, survival mechanisms, and more. Garter snakes, brown snakes, ribbon snakes, and checkered snakes may have similarities that make them difficult to tell apart. However, they have different characteristics and survival behaviors.
Garter snakes, ribbon snakes, and checkered snakes are all species of garter snakes that range from slightly venomous to highly venomous if attacked. The brown snake is the most dangerous of the four and belongs to the Elapidae family.
The remainder of this article will discuss the differences between the common garter snake, the brown snake, the ribbon snake, and the checkered snake. It will highlight their appearances, survival techniques, lifespan, and other significant characteristics.
Key Differences Between Garter Snake, Brown Snake, Ribbon Snake, and Checkered Snake
One of the most common types of snake is the garter snake, which is primarily found in North America but can also be found in Central America and even Australia. While it may look similar to the ribbon and checkered snakes, they have some key differences. Here’s a rundown of these differences:
| Garter | Brown | Ribbon | Checkered | |
| Appearance | Black, brown, gray | Brown with a yellow underbelly | Black with three yellow stripes | Green and checkered |
| Lifespan | 2-20 years | 7-10 years | 11 years | 10-11 years |
| Survival | Camouflage, neurotoxins, escape | Venom | Escape | Camouflage, escape |
Let’s explore these differences in more detail.
Garter Snake
There are approximately thirty five species of garter snakes in the world, and they are mostly found in the North American regions (the United States, Canada, and Mexico). These snakes don’t grow very large – up to about four feet (1.21 m) – and are, for the most part, harmless.
In the wild, the common garter snake lives for up to two years. Their lifespan isn’t very long because they are much more susceptible to getting eaten by predators in the wild. In captivity, however, a common garter snake can live up to twenty years!
Appearance
Also called the grass snake, the common garter snake is dark in color (black, brown, gray, or olive colored) with three light-colored stripes on its body.
These stripes range from green, yellow, white, and blue to brown. The garter snake is most often found in densely covered vegetation and near water. It is slender, with a head slightly larger than its body.
Survival Techniques and Characteristics
Garter snakes are preyed on by fish and frogs, some birds (like the American crow, hawks, and herons), and some four-legged animals like foxes and raccoons. Other rodents, such as squirrels and shrews, may also eat the garter snake.
Camouflage is the garter snake’s primary form of protection, especially because it is not incredibly venomous. It will flee into water when threatened by a land predator, and it may also attempt to make itself look larger by coiling itself up and striking.
If the garter snake is caught, it will try to get away by writhing around and excreting an unpleasant smell from its anus. It may also pee on its attacker.
As you can see, the short lifespan makes sense because the garter snake doesn’t have strong survival mechanisms. Garter snakes typically do not hibernate, unlike many other species of snakes.
Brown Snake
There are various brown snakes around the world, so this section will focus on the common eastern brown snake, most often found in Australia and New Guinea.
The common brown snake is from the Elapidae family and can be located in urban areas and along the outskirts of towns, where it can easily catch mice to eat.
The lifespan of a brown snake in the wild is approximately ten years and around the same for those in captivity.
However, eastern brown snakes shouldn’t be housed because of their dangerous characteristics, and most sources advise only professional and experienced snake handlers to keep these invertebrates captive.
Appearance
This snake can grow up to seven feet (2.13 m) long when mature and can be identified by looking at its underside. The top of the common brown snake is brown or black, while its belly is a pale yellow with orange splotches.
The bright, warm colors on animals (like these orange splotches on the snake’s belly) typically signify that the animal has poisonous properties.
Survival Techniques and Characteristics
The common brown snake is among the most venomous snakes in the world. If it attacks a human or an animal, its venom will lead to cardiac arrest and other circulatory and cardiovascular problems. The brown snake’s attack can kill a person within hours.
When it is defending itself, it will either lift its body halfway up and open its mouth or stand fully vertically and strike.
The common brown snake preys on mice, rats, frogs, and other reptiles; it will attack its prey and then coil around it, using its muscles to suffocate the animal before consuming it.
The eastern brown snake will hibernate during the cold months, only resurfacing on warm, sunny days to recharge in the sunlight.
Ribbon Snake
A ribbon snake is native to eastern North America– most commonly found in the United States and southeastern Canada– and prefers to live in wetlands and forests.
Marshes, lakes, rivers, and streams are common homes for the ribbon snake. It is a species of garter snake that is not venomous and can live up to eleven years in captivity.
Appearance
The eastern ribbon snake is black with three yellow stripes down its body– one in the middle and one on each side. It can grow to be almost one meter long, with a substantial portion of its body consisting of its tail. Its underbelly is white, yellow, or light green.
These snakes’ patterns differ based on geographic location with colors that promote and encourage the use of camouflage among forest floors.
Survival Techniques and Characteristics
The eastern ribbonsnake depends primarily on escape when threatened. These snakes do not have venom and do not often use aggression as a form of defense, so they are considered generally harmless.
They may release a smelly substance onto their attacker, similar to the common garter snake, but otherwise, they will try to escape through camouflage.
Eastern ribbon snakes are preyed on by larger mammals and birds, as well as turtles and even other snakes. Their aquatic characteristics allow them to escape many land predators by fleeing into nearby water. These snakes eat tadpoles, frogs, worms, fish, insects, newts, and salamanders.
They hibernate underground during the cold winter months and become active during the spring, summer, and fall months of the year.
Checkered Snake
Finally, the checkered snake is another species of garter snake native to Central and North America, most commonly found in the United States and Mexico. It has black and light-colored checkered patterns all along its body, giving it the name checkered garter snake.
The general lifespan of a checkered garter snake is between ten and eleven years. Often, snakes live much longer when in captivity than when they are in the wild, and checkered garter snakes in captivity have lived up to eleven years.
Appearance
Checkered garter snakes have light gray and black checkers all along their bodies with underbellies that can range from white, gray, brown, tan, to olive colored.
They also have white and green spots along their bodies and certain stripes or crescent patterns along their necks. Female checkered garter snakes have white half-moon shapes on their faces.
Generally, though, the checkered garter snake has a green body with black and gray checkered patterns on its scales. From afar, it looks like a spotted snake.
They are diverse snakes that can live in many different habitats, from wetlands to drylands. One thing is certain, though; checkered garter snakes tend to stay close to water, as they are semi-aquatic and most often live in water. If not, they can be found among shrubs and in bogs.
Survival Techniques and Characteristics
The checkered garter snake has small amounts of venom but not enough to hurt or kill a predator. Regardless, this snake species will stand up and strike if cornered and release a musk if handled or caught. It will also do things like thrashing around and writhing to escape a predator.
If it can escape, the checkered garter snake will flee to water. However, it’s preyed on by both land and water predators, including foxes, raccoons, skunks, milk snakes, large fish, and bullfrogs. This snake preys on lizards, toads, rodents, and fish, as well as other nonvenomous snakes.
The checkered garter snake hibernates in the winter months, sometimes coming up on warm days to bask in the sun like the brown snake. Most snakes, aside from the common garter snake, will hibernate from October to April or March.
Final Thoughts
These four snakes range from dangerous to harmless, and they all have different survival techniques. Most often, the snakes will writhe around, camouflage, and flee their predators. They will only fight back if cornered, and only the brown snake is highly dangerous and venomous.